June 22 at 9:00 am PDT / 12:00 pm EDT 

Independent restaurants are the backbone of local economies and the heartbeat of communities. An estimated 110,000 restaurants in the US have closed over the past year, with more than three million jobs vanishing from pre-pandemic levels. The impact of COVID-induced closures has been felt across America, affecting suppliers, farmers, and families in addition to restaurant workers—with disproportionate impacts upon people of color, women, and immigrants. With the recent passing of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and as society begins to reopen, how can food restore our shared culture and bring people together once again? How can we rebuild the health of our communities alongside the health of our economy?
 

Moderator

Allison Aubrey
Food and Health Correspondent, NPR News
 

Speakers

Tom Colicchio
Chef and Owner, Crafted Hospitality

Erika Polmar
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Independent Restaurant Coalition

Andrew Zimmern
Founder and CEO, Intuitive Content and Passport Hospitality